Elon Musk operates a Gulfstream G700 — the flagship of Gulfstream’s current production line, with a range of 7,500 nautical miles and a cabin that Gulfstream describes, with justification, as the largest in its class. It replaced a G650ER that had itself replaced earlier Gulfstream models.
The upgrade pattern is linear and explicable.
A person simultaneously running Tesla — with manufacturing operations in California, Texas, Germany, and Shanghai — SpaceX, with launch facilities in Florida and Texas, and X, headquartered in San Francisco, and who has made a public commitment to spending significant time in multiple countries, has an aviation requirement that scales with the operational geography.
The G700 is not the most expensive private aircraft available. A Boeing Business Jet, a Bombardier Global 8000 in certain configurations, or an Airbus ACJ would represent a more expensive choice. Musk chose the G700 because it matches the mission — ultra-long range, a cabin large enough to work seriously for 14 hours, and an operator network mature enough to support the kind of irregular, high-frequency routing his schedule demands.
What is interesting about Musk’s aircraft choice is not the price. It is the fit. A person who has publicly stated contempt for unnecessary expenditure made an aircraft decision that, by the standards of his operational requirement, is arguably conservative.
The world’s richest man did not buy the most expensive jet. He bought the right one.
That is a more interesting story.
Curated by: Hype Luxury
